1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses, more particularly to a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses presenting an adequate resistance to and producing a characteristic variation of mode of deploying and folding motion of the temple arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Eyeglasses whose temple arms deploy and fold easily and naturally under the gravity give an impression of being a cheap product. Even if efforts are made to control the easiness of deployment of the temple arm by tightening the screw linking the temple arm and the bracket, the screw tends to become loose and return to the original state sooner or later. To give an impression of being a high-grade product to eyeglasses, a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket that does not allow any easy deployment and folding of the temple arm is necessary.
Therefore, a number of proposals have been made to create an appropriate resistance to the deploying and folding motion of the temple arm by developing a special link structure between the temple arm and the bracket.
However, the past proposals have in general been based on complicated constructions such as screwing or soldering a small spring to the temple arm or the bracket (see for example Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 1998-133153). And therefore, the manufacturing process became complicated, or the process of repairing the trouble or the replacement of parts was very difficult for users, and in fact many of them did not allow laymen to repair. Moreover, the past inventions included those whose link structure was naked and far from being fashionable (see for example Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 1997-133898) and those whose temple arms were unnaturally large (see for example Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 1992-70624), and thus they were not ones that give an impression of being a high-grade product.
To produce an impression of being a high-grade product, in the first place the eyeglasses must not be unshapely. This is perhaps a design issue, but considerations must be paid at least not leaving the link structure between the temple arm and the bracket in a naked state and not making the temple arm inordinately large. To achieve this end, the link structure must be simple. Conversely, a simple structure makes the whole product appear neat, and enables to simplify the manufacturing process and to reduce the chances for any troubles according to our experience. And it is to the advantage for users because it facilitates repairing any troubles and replacing parts.
Therefore, to sum up the issue, in order to give an impression of a high-grade product to eyeglasses, the link structure between the temple arm and the bracket is required to be of a simple construction without screwing or soldering and to be able to create an appropriate resistance (feeling of resistance) to the deployment and folding motion of the temple arms. And it will be better if the deployment and folding motion of the temple arm can be varied in strength constituting characteristic motions.
This invention was developed under the foregoing technical background and intended to overcome the foregoing issues.
In other words, an object of this invention is to provide a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket capable of giving an appropriate resistance to the deployment and folding motion of the temple arm with the minimum number possible of parts without screwing and soldering. Another object is to provide a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket capable of producing a characteristic variation of mode of deploying and folding motion of the temple arm in order to give an impression of being a high-quality product to eyeglasses. Further objects are to provide a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket of an apparently simple construction and giving an esthetic appearance to the eyeglasses and also to provide eyeglasses of such a construction.
The inventors of the application endeavored themselves to study the foregoing issues and have found that it is possible to give an adequate resistance to the deployment and folding motion of the temple arm by keeping constantly the link portion of the temple arm with the bracket in contact under pressure with a flexible member having a restoring force (a flexible member), to create a characteristic variation of mode of deploying and folding motion of the temple arm by forming the lateral surface of the link portion in various shapes, and to prevent the falling off of the flexible member by keeping the link portion of the temple arm in contact under pressure with the flexible member. And based on this finding, the inventors completed this invention.
That is, firstly, this invention resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses, the temple arm comprising a link portion linking itself with a bracket, the bracket comprising link pieces on its inner upper and lower parts and comprising further a flexible member between the upper and lower link pieces, wherein the link portion of the temple arm is inserted and fixed between the upper and lower link pieces, the temple arm and the bracket are rotatably linked and the link portion of the temple arm and the flexible members are constantly pressed together.
And secondly this invention resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses, the upper and lower surfaces of the link portion of the temple arm linking itself with the bracket respectively provided with a pivot protruding therefrom, the bracket being provided with link pieces on its inner upper and lower sides, respectively provided with an eyelet for the insertion of the pivot and provided further with a flexible member between the upper and lower link pieces, the eyelet for insertion being provided with a guide portion for guiding the pivot of the temple arm into the eyelet for the insertion of the pivot, wherein the link portion of the temple arm is inserted between the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket, the pivots on the upper and lower surfaces of the temple arm are inserted into the guiding portion of the eyelet for the insertion of a pivot formed on the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket and are fixed into the eyelet for the insertion of a pivot, the temple arm and the bracket are linked rotatably and the link portion of the temple arm and the flexible member are constantly pressed together.
And thirdly the eyelets for the insertion of the pivots of said upper and lower link pieces and the guide portion reside in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket pierced through at least on either of the upper and lower link pieces.
And fourthly the eyelets for the insertion of the pivots of said upper and lower link pieces and the guide portion of said bracket reside in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket that is hollow but bottomed on both upper and lower link pieces.
And fifthly this invention resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses in which the temple arm includes eyelets for allowing the penetration of the pivot in the link portion between the temple arm and the bracket, the bracket is provided with link pieces on its inner upper and lower sides, further provided with a flexible member between the upper band lower link pieces, the upper and lower link pieces are respectively provided with an eyelet for the insertion of a pivot, the link portion of the temple arm is inserted between the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket, the pivot is inserted and fixed rotatably so as to pierce through the eyelet for the insertion of the pivot of the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket and the eyelet for the insertion of the pivot of the link portion of the temple arm and is fixed solidly in the eyelet for the insertion of pivot in the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket, and thus the temple arm and the bracket are linked rotatably so that the link portion of the temple arm and the flexible member are constantly pressed together.
And sixthly said pivot resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket consisting of a screw.
And seventhly said pivot resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket that can be engaged in the eyelet for the insertion of the pivot of the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket.
And eighthly said eyelet for the insertion of the pivot of the link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket constituted by a pierced round eyelet.
And ninthly said eyelet for the insertion of the pivot of the link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket constituted by a depressed portion formed by the flexion of said link portion.
And tenthly this invention resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket for eyeglasses in which the temple arm includes an eyelet for the insertion of pivot by bending the link portion linking itself with the bracket, the bracket is provided with link pieces on its inner upper and lower sides and further provided with a flexible member between the upper and lower link pieces, the upper and lower link pieces are linked by a pivot, the link portion of the temple arm is inserted between the upper and the lower link pieces of the bracket, the eyelet for the insertion of pivot of the link portion of the temple arm is hooked on the pivot linking the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket so that the pivot may be fixed rotatably, the temple arm and the bracket are linked rotatably and the link portion of the temple arm and the flexible member are constantly pressed together.
And in the eleventh place said flexible member resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket engaged with a depressed portion formed on the inner side between the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket.
And in the twelfth place said flexible member resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket engaged with a depressed portion with a support portion formed on the inner side between the upper and lower link pieces of the bracket.
And in the thirteenth place said flexible member resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket integrally formed with the bracket.
And in the fourteenth place said link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket of which at least the surface in contact under pressure with the flexible member among its surfaces is formed by two rectangular surfaces.
And in the fifteenth place said link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket of which at least the surface in contact under pressure with the flexible member among its surfaces is formed by three or more rectangular surfaces more or less at right angles to each other.
And in the sixteenth place said link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket of which at least the surface in contact under pressure with the flexible member among its surfaces is formed by a curved surface.
And in the seventeenth place said link portion of the temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket of which at least the surface in contact under pressure with the flexible member among its surfaces is formed by a cylindrical surface.
And in the eighteenth place said temple arm resides in a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket the outer surface of which is formed in an inwardly depressed shape.
And in the nineteenth place this invention resides in eyeglasses comprising a link structure between a temple arm and a bracket according to claims 1 through 18 above.
This invention can of course employ a structure comprising the combination of two or more aspects selected from the first to eighteenth aspects of the invention as long as it meets the object of the invention.